About Tesselle

My name is Karin Jeske. My background is in textile design, and I have spent my career designing and marketing products in both apparel and home fashions. With the advent of design software, I became interested in applying my knowledge of repeating designs to tiles that can be rotated in different ways to create a myriad of different patterns.

Of particular interest, are Loewy Tilings, named after Andreas "Andy" Loewy, an industrial designer and professor from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. He pioneered a technique in the 1990s that creates a single square module with a design that continues from tile to tile regardless of their orientation with respect to one another when installed. Using this method, I can design tiles that can create a never-ending, non-repeating pattern with a random layout. I have created hundreds of these designs and thousands of iterations... it is a hobby, a challenge and a labor of love. I also believe Loewy Tilings make for a better product because I find that they also tend to make superior patterns when laid out to create repeating designs. Our A-Frame, Avenida, Bouquet Toss, Circuit, Fine Vine, Geometricks, He Loves Me and Nature's Net patterns all use a version of Andy's technique.

In addition, I have drawn my inspiration from many sources, including the M.C. Escher tessellations on the walls in my family's home when I was a child, the professors at the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia University), and my many wonderful mentors in the workplace. My random tile designs were first made commercially available in 2005 in carpet tiles with Interface FLOR. I discovered cement tiles at a trade show in 2006, and felt that they were the perfect medium for my work because, unlike with most hard surface tiles, the design comes right to the edge, the lines are sharp (though not precise to the millimeter), and the grout lines thin (because the tiles are uniform in size). I loved the sun-baked color palettes, the porous surface, and their graphic nature.

Karin Jeske, Founder, with Circuit, an exclusive tile from the Tesselle collection.

The Cement Tile has a storied history, originating in Europe in the 1800s, and today it is known as a beautifully imperfect and eco-friendly product that can last for centuries. Tesselle Cement Tiles are hand-made in central Mexico by one of the oldest and most reputable factories in the world. Each tile is slightly different, and this variation adds to the beauty as they cover a surface.

In addition to cement tiles, our designs have been applied to many other products, including other building materials, carpet tile and fabric. For certain hard tile applications, we can use glazed ceramic, dimensional concrete or digital printing technology. We can also use our proprietary design methods to develop exclusive designs for our clients.

In addition, we license our designs to manufacturers of other products. All of our designs are copyrighted, and available exclusively through Tesselle or our licensees.

Tesselle is based in Riverside, CA. We would love to help you create beautiful surfaces with our designs. You can call us at 951-781-3000, or email us at info@tesselle.com.

Happy Designing! Karin Jeske

Copyright 2005-2015 Tesselle Cement Tiles. Tesselle designs encaustic cement tiles in modern interpretations. Our cement tiles are hand-made from a centuries-old technique that originated in Europe and made in countries such as France, Spain, Belgium, Moracco, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Decorative cement tiles are enjoying a resurgence in both residential and commercial interior design and architectural projects. All designs are the original work of Tesselle Design. Encaustic cement tiles are also described as hydraulic tiles, concrete tiles or decorative tiles. Random tile patterns are also referred to as Loewy Tilings, Aperiodic Tilings and Truchet Tilings.